TAMPA, Fla. (AP) -- Florida is brimming with confidence after turning its season around. Tulane is looking to regain some swagger.
The Gators (7-5) and Green Wave (9-4) meet in Friday's Gasparilla Bowl, with Florida playing just two hours south of its campus and aiming to build on a late surge under coach Billy Napier.
Tulane, which has lost its past two games, is trying to finish strong against a Power Four opponent after tumbling out of the Top 25.
"It's a tough draw. We all know that," Green Wave coach Jon Sumrall said. "We're playing Florida in their backyards, and they are playing like one of the best three or four SEC teams the last month of the season."
Florida won its last three regular-season games, rallied on the recruiting trail to finish with the 11th-ranked class and has several upperclassmen returning in 2025 -- including defensive tackle Caleb Banks, defensive end Tyreak Sapp and All-American center Jake Slaughter.
All of that happened after athletic director Scott Stricklin guaranteed the once-embattled Napier would return in 2025.
"We've gotten to a place where we think we could beat anybody," Napier said. "This team has a ton of confidence. I think that comes from the work. I think they realize the results that they've gotten are because of the mindset and the approach they've taken toward the work.
"So we've seen that carry over. Lot of other things have happened in a positive light as well. Signing Day went well. I think we've been able to retain a huge portion of our roster for next year."
Florida has lost a few key pieces since beating rivel Florida State to cap its winning streak, most notable defensive ends Jack Pyburn and T.J. Searcy.
Still, the Gators seem to have more momentum than Tulane.
The Green Wave was ranked 18th before dropping its regular-season finale to Memphis, then losing to Army in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
Sumrall's team will play the Gasparilla Bowl without standout quarterback Darian Mensah, who entered the transfer portal and committed to continue his career at Duke.
Mensah, though, is one of just a few Tulane starters not expected to play. Thirteen seniors are practicing and planning to play, including wide receiver Mario Williams and offensive linemen Josh Remetich.
"The last two games have been an emotional roller coaster for us. ... Just being able to go down there and play against an SEC opponent is really something I don't take for granted," Remetich said. "It's a great team, a great opportunity for us to prove a point."
Florida linebacker Shemar James, who plans to play Friday, says he hasn't made a decision about whether he will return to the Gators in 2025 or declare for the NFL draft.
QB Ty Thompson, who transferred to Tulane from Oregon in 2024, is expected to make first college start -- and possibly play his final game for the Green Wave.
Thompson has entered the transfer portal with the intent of finding a team that wants him to start full-time. But he remains on good terms with coach Jon Sumrall and could conceivably return to the Wave.
WR Mario Williams played for Lincoln Riley at Oklahoma and USC before spending his final college season at Tulane. Now he's set to play his final game with the Green Wave in his hometown of Tampa, Florida.
Williams set career highs with 54 catches for 940 yards this season. He needs 60 yards to become the eighth 1,000-yard receiver in Tulane history and the first since Ryan Grant in 2013.
"I just want to have fun," Williams said when asked about choosing to play over the option of skipping the game to focus exclusively on NFL draft preparations. "I'm going to go out there and make plays. It was a great decision for me and my family -- and also this team -- to come here."
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AP Sports Writers Mark Long in Gainesville, Fla., and Brett Martel in New Orleans, contributed to this report.
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